Aspartame: Fame or Shame?

When I was reading the Times from a week ago, I noticed an article on sodas. I read it while drinking a Diet Sprite, and I was shocked. Then, after reading the Editor's comment, I decided to write an article from the other side. After all, everything has a good side, right?

So I began my research with my Diet Sprite. The ingredients? Carbonated water, citric acid, natural flavors, potassium citrate, potassium benzoate (to protect taste), aspartame and acesulfame potassium. Aspartame is used more than acesulfame potassium, and less than everything else. It follows that aspartame is only included in small doses. Most likely a smaller ratio than salt on food. (This conclusion I made because the taste preserver is used more than aspartame.)

So I decided to do more intensive research. On one informational site, there were a collection of lab reports, each giving proof that aspartame is safe. You can find that site here: http://www.aspartame.info/info/sclibcontents.html. The first report is particuarly reassuring if you drink a lot of diet soda (like I do). The other report may change your view of aspartame.

Also, I began wondering how the dangerous aspartame was accepted by the FDA. After all, the last time a danger like this was found, the FDA rang the alarm bell and recalled everything. So why do they let aspartame remain in products? Because it's safe. This: http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/qa-adf9.html is an official FDA report that says aspartame is safe.

So there you have it. Keep drinking your diet soda, and chewing your gum (another common product with aspartame), they're perfectly safe.